Leaving town for Christmas? Make sure you're prepared

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TRI-CITIES, Wash. -- Almost 95 million Americans will hit the road in the next three days.

Troopers here locally say this is one of the most dangerous times of year for driving.

Magen Vazquez and her family make a quick pit-stop before they hit the road for their holiday getaway.

"We're headed to Leavenworth," she says.

With winter weather making holiday driving even more dangerous, she isn't taking chances.

"We looked it up, tomorrow is supposed to be worse, so that's why we're headed up today," she continued.

Magen's attitude is spot-on according to Washington State Patrol. Recent numbers from the traffic safety commission say in just the few days around Christmas, more than 300 travelers will die in car accidents, most caused by weather and drunk driving.

It's why our local troopers are taking to the highways in force this year.

"Expect during the holidays to see more state troopers on the road. We have a zero tolerance when it comes to drinking and driving," says Trooper Brian Bond.

While you can't plan for impaired drivers on the road, Trooper Bond says you can plan for weather.

Put more distance between you and the car in front of you and maintain slower speeds.

When you get into icy conditions, knowing the ins and outs could save your life.

"Stay out of the left lane. DOT's priority is the right lane first for de-icing. So when you're on the highway, if you're in the left lane, expect that lane to be more slick than the right lane," he says.

And if you're like 30 percent of Americans who somewhere in their holiday plans have "traveling" written down, you're going to want to take extra precautions as this is one of the most deadly times of the year to be on the road.

"I don't want to jinx us, because we're driving out of town, but we haven't had any issues, so, not fearing it yet!" Magen says.

Troopers tell us that in the month of December, an average of 27 people die on the road every day across the country.

They're expecting more people on the roads, so make sure you're checking that weather and allowing yourself plenty of time to get where you're going.

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